Proud
by Scotia Daniel
Summary: Now that his sons had grown and his second youngest had started a family of his own, Splinter couldn't help but reflect on the family he had as a human, the family he helped raise as mutants below the streets, and the future of Donatello's family as he welcomed his first child.


It was strange to think that the now quiet abandoned subway used to be filled with chatter and noise. Now, the chatter had died down over the years and it had become oddly quiet. It hadn't been like that since Splinter's sons were only toddlers who couldn't speak just yet. And when they did grow to talk, quiet often meant trouble.

As Splinter listened to the silence surrounding him, the old rat couldn't help but sigh. It was a reminder that times had changed and that his sons were no longer children.

The ninja master finished sweeping up the dust on the floor of the dojo and sighed. His oldest son, Leonardo, had finally won that Foot Clan girl over. Karai, was it? She had left her father behind but his son had a long ways to go before he could fully tame the young woman. He had hope for his eldest son. This had been going on for the past four years, and if anyone could influence Karai to turn over a new leaf, it was Leonardo. He still lived beneath the streets with the old man, and now it seemed as though Karai would be, too, soon enough.

Splinter swept the dust into a bin and picked it up, feeling his bones creak with age. His second oldest son, Raphael...he still lived with Splinter along with Michelangelo, the youngest of them all. Raphael seemed...lost in a sense. Michelangelo had adjusted to the new way of life, but Raphael...Raphael seemed to struggle with it. With Karai, with how Leonardo was, with Donatello gone...

The ninja sighed and stretched, feeling his back crack. He glanced over to where the picture of him, his beloved wife and daughter was. Splinter walked closer and looked it over. There wasn't a day in his life that he didn't miss his other family. Would they be proud of him for what he had done? He'd hope so. He glanced over Miwa's face and then his wife's. Her face smiled up at him and his lips twitched. She would be proud.

Splinter's eyes shifted from the photograph and to the next object on the shelf. It was another framed picture, but this time, of another family. It was of his beloved second youngest son, Donatello, and his wife, April. His son and April posed exactly how Splinter and his wife were positioned in their own photograph, and in April's arms rested a small bundle wrapped in blanks.

A baby's face peeked out from the blankets, a smile on her young face. It was weird to think that he was now a grandfather. That his son and his wife had had their first child only a month ago. It was a difficult process and strange one at that, but when April had given birth to the child, Splinter new he would love the child dearly.

The child, Magdalene, looked so much like both of her parents already. Light green with a pinkish tone, she would be able to walk the streets and seem almost normal. Something her father and uncles couldn't do without the cover of night fall. Dark orange-brown hairs began to poke out of her head and her eyes were the same shade of Donatello's with sprinkles of April's blue here and there. She would grow up to be a fine woman, Splinter was sure of that. He was looking forward to seeing that day. And the day where he could hear her call him 'grandfather' for the first time...

Splinter knew he had raised his sons well. He thanked the heavens for April and Karai, for him to be blessed with such an amazing family, and to be able to have had that life. His sons had grown from being wonderful children to being amazing adults. He was proud of them for how they turned out. Proud of their judgment, their skills, and who they grew up to be.

And now...now as he looked at the picture of Donatello and his family, he couldn't help but smile. He was proud of Donatello for being such a great husband and father so far. For being so responsible and kind to his wife and child. And now, as he looked at Maggie, he knew he would be very proud of her as she grew to be as amazing as her father, mother, and uncles. And even though her life had barely begun, he was proud of her already.

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